When you tie the spice sachet to the bottle, add a gift label with instructions for making the mulled wine and what other ingredients to add. One kit should be enough for about six glasses.

Ingredients

1 cinnamon stick
6 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
fresh nutmeg
12 cloves
1 square cheesecloth, about 7 x 7 in.
1 pinch ground ginger
a length of twine
1 bottle red wine

Directions

1. Prepare the spices — break the cinnamon stick into three pieces, crush the cardamom pods lightly and grate a little fresh nutmeg.

2. Place the cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and cloves in the center of the cheesecloth square. Measure out the ginger and add it to the spices.

3. Gather the four corners of the cheesecloth and hold them with the fingertips of one hand. Gather up the four remaining corners.

4. Wrap the piece of twine around the top of the sachet and secure it tightly. Then tie the loose ends of the twine around the neck of the bottle.

Mulled Wine Instructions

Put the wine, sachet, half a cup of water and 6 tablespoons of granulated or demerara sugar into a pan. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, but don’t allow the wine to come to a boil. Add a splash of brandy, gin, Cointreau or port, the juice of 1 orange, and 1 orange and 1 lemon, each sliced and cut into segments.